Safe bet is to act now to reduce fossil fuel use. Go renewable says RENEW.

In a weekend editorial the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel quoted RENEW's executive director Don Wichert:  

While national leaders dither, local officials and families can start doing things to reduce human impact on climate change

It's possible that this summer is just a fluke; that the heat waves and drought that are wreaking havoc for farmers and others are an anomaly, and that the weather will return to "normal" next summer or maybe the summer after that. That it's just summer and it's hot, and that this really isn't part of a trend that climate scientists have been predicting.

But that's not the way to bet. . . .

"The extreme weather and heat waves are costing lives, hurting farmers and families, and inaction is wasting tax money," said Rep. Brett Hulsey (D-Madison), member of the Assembly Energy and Utilities Committee in a news release. "We need to take cost-effective steps to reduce greenhouse air pollution, create jobs and protect lives like my Jobs, Energy and Tax Savings Act (AB 117) to reduce energy costs at the 9,000 state facilities by 30% to 75% and cut the risk of extreme climate change."

"We know that using more renewable energy and more energy efficiency creates more jobs here and produces far less green house gases than the fossil fuels they replace," said Don Wichert, P.E., Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin. "Access to renewable energy can be increased by reducing upfront costs through private ownership, by creating fair and consistent electricity policies, and by reinstating utility renewable energy commitments."

It's also the message being pushed by a retired Marine colonel and former strategic adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who argues that sustainability and climate change are national security issues. Local leaders need to start the shift to more sustainable practices such as regenerative agriculture techniques and advanced manufacturing because "D.C. isn't going to do anything," Mark Mykleby, author of "A Natural Strategic Narrative," he told the Editorial Board Thursday.

The science says climate change is happening now, not just in computer models or overactive imaginations but in the real world. From rising sea levels to droughts to tornadoes and wildfires, there is a growing list of anomalous events that indicate climate change is already upon us. And the safe bet is to start acting now to mitigate the human effect on climate change at the international, national and local levels.

RENEW says renewable energy can reduce greenhouse gasses

From a presentation on July 11, 2012, at a Capitol news conference in the state Capitol:

Pathways to Increase Renewable Energy

1. Allow private companies to sell renewable energy to home and building occupants if the renewable system is on private property;
2. Allow fair and uniform net energy billing and interconnection policies;
3. Increase Focus on Energy funding for renewables;
4. Reinstate utility renewable energy commitments;
5. Increase renewable energy requirements.

Manure-to-electricty plant planned for Greenbush farm

From an article by Josh Lintereur in the Sheboygan Press:

For the past 71 years, the cows at the Goeser family dairy farm in rural Plymouth have been fairly prolific at producing two things — milk and manure.

But by next year, the cows could also become a reliable source of renewable energy. Using a simple process that's been around for decades, a Milwaukee startup firm called U.S. Biogas has proposed building a small power plant at the farm that would use cow manure to create electricity.

At peak production, the plant, called an anaerobic digester, could process 15 million gallons of manure a year and produce enough electricity to power up to 1,200 homes.

The process would also produce a liquid fertilizer that can be used to grow crops, along with a fiber product that can be used as bedding for the farm's 2,000 cows. Any unused fiber — which is rich in nutrients — will be sold to nurseries and landscapers.

The benefit to the farm is that the resulting fertilizer would be mostly odor free, and its phosphorous content would be cut by 50 to 60 percent, meaning there would be significantly less phosphorous runoff into nearby lakes and streams.

"It's a good deal for us, and we feel it's a positive for the public," said Craig Goeser, who owns the third-generation dairy with his two brothers, Pat and Brian. "You're reducing the amount of phosphorous going out into the fields, so you're protecting the environment, and you're not burning coal to produce electricity."

If the project goes forward, the plant would be the only one of its kind operating at a Sheboygan County dairy farm, and it would join the growing number of manure digesters operating in Wisconsin, which produces more so-called cow power than any other state.

Northeast Wisconsin Climate Change Workshop, September 13, 2011

Safeguarding our economy, environment, and quality of life

A workshop to build local and regional climate planning capacity in the Great Lakes

Who Should Attend: Planners and other professionals addressing land use, public health, stormwater, emergency preparedness, and natural resource management issues.

Workshops include
•Climate change impacts in the Great Lakes region
•Economic benefits of climate planning
•Planning processes and strategies
•Tools, data, and resources
•Regional examples of climate planning
•Stakeholder engagement strategies
•Strategies for incorporating resilience into current planning initiatives

Earth Day Economics: A Green and Prosperous Future

From an article in the Shepherd Express by Doug Booth, a retired Marquette University economics professor, a founder of the Driftless Area Land Conservancy, and author of The Coming Good Boom: Creating Prosperity for All and Saving the Environment Through Compact Living:

The astounding success of the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, under the tutelage of a true Wisconsin hero, Sen. Gaylord Nelson, marked the coming of age of the environmental movement in this country. Environmental victories in the 1970s included the passage of such landmark legislation as the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species acts. Earth Day ushered in a new environmental era, and today the quality of our lives is much improved for it.

Unfortunately, our work remains unfinished.

Our single greatest environmental threat today is global warming brought to us by the burning of fossil fuels to power our cars, heat our homes, grow our food and fabricate and operate all our wonderful consumer gadgets. Scientists tell us that greenhouse gases from fossil fuels act like a "tea cozy" around the Earth, bringing forth dangerous environmental harms reported in the news on a daily basis—a shrinking polar ice cap, rising sea levels, more powerful storms, droughts and wildfires.

Reducing Fossil Fuel Consumption
Bringing global warming to a halt can be accomplished with a simple act—freeing ourselves from the environmental tyranny of fossil fuels. Some will say this is easier said than done, but doing so will bring on what I call a "good boom" that will lift all our boats. The "good boom" will be an economic expansion created through compact urban living, clean energy, more grassland and less corn, green cuisine, letting forests grow old and more. It will also help us address global warming. . . .

Wind and Solar Are the Future's Power Sources
Necessary to moving beyond fossil fuels is a switch to truly clean sources of renewable energy. Notwithstanding Gov. Scott Walker's attempt to bring wind energy to a screeching halt with onerous regulations, both wind and sun are the primary energy sources of the future. For example, California lawmakers recently approved a rule requiring utilities to derive one-third of their power from renewable energy sources within 10 years. As we do more of anything in our economy, its cost inevitably falls. This is happening already for both wind and solar energy. The Great Plains is on track to becoming the Saudi Arabia of wind energy, and throughout the Midwest industrial belt, old factories are quickly being refitted to produce wind generators and solar panels. Despite the naysayers, the wind and solar energy revolution is under way, bringing forth an abundance of new jobs—windsmiths, solar panel installers, weatherization specialists, solar engineers, wind and solar equipment fabricators and, here in Milwaukee, urban farmers.

To be sure, the fossil fuel industry will resist going quietly and will defend to the death its right to pollute the atmosphere without cost. Eventually, the industry will lose this battle and will pay the public piper through some form of a tax on greenhouse gas emissions.

Deep Green

Wind generation reduces climate-changing emissions

From a report titled "The Facts about Wind Energy’s Emissions Savings" prepared by the American Wind Energy Association:

. . . four of the seven major independent grid operators in the
U.S. have studied the emissions impact of adding wind energy to their power grids, and all four have found that adding wind energy drastically reduces emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants. While the emissions savings depend somewhat on the existing share of coal-fired versus gas-fired generation in the region, as one would expect, it is impossible to dispute the findings of these four independent grid operators that adding wind energy to their grids has significantly reduced emissions. . . .

DOE data show that wind and other renewables’ share of Texas’s
electric mix increased from 1.3% in 2005 to 4.4% in 2008, an increase in share of 3.1 percentage points. During that period, electric sector carbon dioxide emissions declined by 3.3%, even though electricity use actually increased by 2% during that time. Because of wind energy, the state of Texas was able to turn what would have been a carbon emissions increase into a decrease of 8,690,000 metric tons per year, equal to the emissions savings of taking around 1.5 million cars off the road.

Howard's efforts toward sustainability recognized

From an article by Malavika Jagannathan in the Green Bay Press Gazette:

HOWARD — The village is getting closer to becoming more energy efficient and practicing sustainable development.

The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, a membership organization of local governments committed to environmental protection, recognized the village for its work to chronicle its greenhouse gas emissions for a year.

Howard is the second municipality in Wisconsin, after Madison, to achieve this standing in the group's five-step milestone program.

Seven Wisconsin communities are a part of this organization: Fitchburg, Howard, Madison, Marshfield, Milwaukee, Oshkosh and Racine.

Municipalities are asked to calculate greenhouse gas emission for a base year and a forecast year from all municipal operations, including buildings, streetlights, motor vehicles and wastewater treatment facilities.

Howard's report shows that vehicle transportation makes up most of the village's carbon footprint, making up about 53 percent of the 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emitted from village sources.

Bill McKibben leads list of Energy Fair keynote speakers, June 18-20

From the announcement of keynote speakers for the Energy Fair of the Midwest Renewable Energy Associaiton:

On Saturday, June 19, 2010, join us to hear an inspirational keynote address from noted environmentalist, activist and author, Bill McKibben. Bill is the founder of 350.org, an international climate campaign. He frequently writes about global warming, alternative energy, and the risks associated with human genetic engineering. Beginning in the summer of 2006, he led the organization of the largest demonstrations against global warming in American history.

Bill has written many books including The End of Nature and is a frequent contributor to various magazines including The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, Orion Magazine, Mother Jones, The New York Review of Books, Granta, Rolling Stone, and Outside. He is also a board member and contributor to Grist Magazine. Bill has a new book out, Eaarth, that details how we can't continue the unsustainable consumer culture and gives us hope for a more sustainable future.

Visit Bill McKibben's website to learn more.

Cruel Month for Renewable Energy

A commentary
by Michael Vickerman, RENEW Wisconsin
May 4, 2010

Renewable energy businesses and activists entered the month of April with high hopes of seeing the State Legislature pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA), a comprehensive bill designed to propel Wisconsin toward energy independence, along the way creating thousands of new jobs and strengthening the sustainable energy marketplace. This comprehensive bill would have raised the renewable energy content of electricity sold in Wisconsin, while stepping up ratepayer support for smaller-scale renewable energy installations throughout the state.

Unfortunately, on April 22, the State Senate adjourned for the year without taking action on the Clean Energy Jobs Act bill, effectively killing the measure and leaving hundreds of businesses and individuals who campaigned for the bill empty-handed.

If life imitates poetry, then the line that opens T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land—“April is the cruelest month”—aptly encapsulates the evolution of a campaign that overcame many obstacles in the final weeks only to be undermined by the unwillingness of Senate leaders to schedule a vote on the bill. The sense of anticipation that began the month was swept away by a combination of personal feuds, extreme partisanship, and increasingly polarized public attitudes toward climate change. That the bill’s demise coincided with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day was seen by supporters as an especially cruel twist of fate.

It certainly didn’t help matters that the some of the state’s most politically entrenched constituencies banded together to fight CEJA at every stage of the process. Among the hard-core opponents were Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the Paper Council and the Farm Bureau. Their vociferous opposition scuttled bipartisanship, eliminating the possibility that a Republican legislator would vote for the bill.

Working hand-in-glove with vitriolic right-wing radio talk show hosts, the opposition supplied their grassroots faithful with a smorgasbord of exaggerated claims, hyperbole, outright fantasy, and pseudoscience. Though the analysis purporting to document the opposition’s assertions set a new low in academic rigor, it succeeded in its aim, which was to plant the seeds of fear among certain legislators about the ultimate cost of this legislation before the bill was even introduced.

Working just as vigorously for the Clean Energy Jobs Act, a broad spectrum of interests answered the requests for help. Whether they were one-person solar installation businesses or Fortune 500 corporations like Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls, CEJA supporters wrote letters, made phone calls, and corralled their legislators at the Capitol on several days during March and April.

In dozens of face-to-face meetings with their representatives, CEJA supporters made the case for this bill by bringing out their own experiences as business owners, farmers, educators, builders, and skilled tradesmen. They presented a local and highly personal angle to the clean energy policy debate that many legislators had not appreciated before. Their passion and energy were instrumental in giving this bill a fighting chance for passage at the end of the session. Unfortunately, the campaign could not overcome the pique of the Senate Democrats.

One legislator who kept pushing this ambitious bill up the legislative hill until the very last day was Assembly representative Spencer Black, who was one of the four principal authors of the measure. CEJA supporters are indebted to Rep. Black for his vigorous leadership and his determined efforts to round up support among his compatriots for passing this bill.

Two rays of sunlight did manage to pierce through the heavy clouds at the close of April, prompted by the dedication of the two largest wind turbines owned by Wisconsin schools. In each case, the school erected a 100-kilowatt Northwind turbine manufactured by Vermont-based Northern Power Systems. One serves Wausau East High School while the other feeds power to the Madison Area Technical College’s Fort Atkinson branch. The turbines will offset a significant fraction of the electricity consumed at each school.

Located well within the city limits of Wausau and Fort Atkinson, these 155-foot-tall wind generators eloquently testify to the breadth and depth of public support for renewable energy across Wisconsin. Next January, the Legislature will witness the return of clean energy supporters with similar legislation for strengthening Wisconsin’s renewable energy marketplace. In the meantime, we will be working hard to achieve a very different outcome.

END

Michael Vickerman is the executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a sustainable energy advocacy organization headquartered in Madison. For more information on Wisconsin renewable energy policy, visit RENEW’s web site at: www.renewwisconsin.org.

Wisconsin Democrats say no to Clean Energy on Earth Day

A news release issued by Clean Wisconsin:

MADISON -- Hours ago, the democratically controlled state Legislature failed the people of Wisconsin when it adjourned before taking up the Clean Energy Jobs Act.

"It's ironic that on Earth Day, our Democrat-led state Legislature effectively killed a vital piece of clean energy legislation," says Keith Reopelle, senior policy director, Clean Wisconsin. "Senate Democratic leaders Jeff Plale and Russ Decker's refusal to schedule the bill for a vote guaranteed the bill's demise."

The Clean Energy Jobs Act would have created more than 15,000Â jobs for Wisconsinites. Just yesterday, Wave Wind, a wind energy service provider in Sun Prairie, sent an open letter to the state Legislature noting that the delayed passage of the bill forced the company to lay off 12 employees. Had the bill passed, Wave Wind would have created 100 new high-quality jobs.

"The world is transitioning to a clean energy economy, and Wisconsin is getting left behind," says Reopelle. "Wisconsin has now lost the manufacturing and design jobs that would have been created by the bill  to China, California and Illinois."

The bill also would have lowered energy bills for homeowners and businesses with its renewable energy and energy efficiency provisions, allowing Wisconsin to make incremental but critically important steps toward reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and increasing our energy independence.

"It is a travesty that Wisconsin's Legislature missed the opportunity to take action on such an important bill for the health of our state's economy and environment," says Reopelle. "While today's inaction is definitely a setback, thanks to the hard work of our allies in the Legislature and coalition partners, we have laid the foundation for future clean energy legislation and remain hopeful that Wisconsin will soon return to its forward-thinking roots."

###

Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy organization, protects Wisconsin's clean water and air and advocates for clean energy by being an effective voice in the state legislature and by holding elected officials and polluters accountable.

Legislature should celebrate Earth Day by passing Clean Energy Jobs Act

From an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The state Legislature could give Wisconsin's celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on Thursday a real boost by approving the latest version of the Clean Energy Jobs Act. The bill is aimed at reducing the state's reliance on fossil fuels and encouraging the growth of green technology and green jobs. A recent analysis by the state Public Service Commission says the measure will result in lower costs for energy consumers in coming years.

Given the threat posed by the reality of climate change and the opportunity to start creating jobs in a new industry, it's clearly a bill that deserves passage. The same threat and opportunity also should spur Congress to finally move forward on meaningful climate change legislation.

In addition to the good it would do, such legislation at the state and federal levels also would be a fitting tribute to the late Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day, which has spurred so much important environmental legislation over the past four decades.

The bad news in Wisconsin, however, is that it appears the bill won't be approved in the legislative session that ends Thursday. According to an article by Journal Sentinel reporters Patrick Marley and Jason Stein, the bill is on life-support in the Assembly because lawmakers feel they don't have the votes to pass it there.

And Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Wausau) has already signaled he won't let the bill pass in the Senate because of concerns it will raise utility rates, although we suspect that Decker's real opposition is based on political disagreements with Gov. Jim Doyle, who was hoping to make this bill part of his legacy.

Guest column: Clean Energy Jobs Act benefits state

From a guest column by Melissa VanOrnum, marketing manager at GHD, Inc., Chilton, and published in the Green Bay Press Gazette:

The Clean Energy Jobs Act will revitalize our economy, create jobs and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

A few special-interest groups claim the bill will increase our electricity rates and drive businesses out of Wisconsin. These groups suggest that Wisconsin businesses are therefore opposed to the bill. We have seen just the opposite in our interactions with businesses across the state.

We have heard from hundreds of local businesses, large and small, located throughout our state, about the Clean Energy Jobs Act. These businesses recognize that by promoting investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy, the bill will benefit our state by stabilizing and reducing electricity rates and improving our local economy.

Earlier this month, more than 200 Wisconsin businesses delivered a letter to legislators supporting the Clean Energy Jobs Act. These businesses include some of the largest employers in our state, such as Cardinal Glass, Energy Composites, Johnson Controls, Organic Valley, Orion Energy Systems and Tower Tech; companies from urban areas such as Helios Solar, Procorp Enterprises and Seventh Generation Energy Systems; and companies from rural areas such as ours, GHD, Inc. We are a family-run business that builds anaerobic digesters on farms across the state, providing renewable energy and other environmental benefits to agricultural communities.

We Energies, Alliant Energy and other utilities in group urging passage of Clean Energy Jobs Act

From a news release issued by CREWE, a coalition of the following organizations -- Alliant Energy, Xcel, We Energies, Madison Gas and Electric, WPPI Energy, EcoEnergy, Johnson Controls, C5•6 Technologies, Axley Brynelson, Orion Energy Systems, Forest County Potawatomi Community, Poblocki Sign Company, Emerging Energies of Wisconsin, MillerCoors, American Transmission Co., DTE Energy Services, Kranz, Inc. and Greenwood Fuels:

(MADISON, Wis.)—The coalition for Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy (CREWE) today urged the State Assembly to pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) in order to create thousands of jobs and reduce electricity costs for Wisconsin consumers and businesses.

“The amended Clean Energy Jobs Act provides even more benefits than the original version, so our representatives must make the obvious choice and pass this bill,” Thad Nation, executive director of CREWE, said. “In fact, a recent survey shows that business leaders are eager to undertake energy efficiency efforts as a means of saving money and growing their respective businesses.”

CREWE member Johnson Controls surveyed more than 1,400 executives in North America and found that improving energy efficiency in buildings is their top priority. According to the Public Service Commission, the energy efficiency provisions in the new CEJA are likely to save Wisconsin ratepayers billions of energy dollars over the next several years.

The Assembly will vote on the bill Tuesday.

Among the amendments, a more aggressive energy efficiency policy will keep electricity affordable and target Wisconsin’s manufacturing, large commercial and and institutional sectors, which in turn will produce
many high-quality, well-paying jobs, Nation added.

Let's pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act to celebrate Earth Day!

Tomorrow the Assembly will be voting on the Clean Energy Jobs Act.

RENEW Wisconsin and dozens of other organizations have been working hard to pass the job-creating legislation.

Clean Wisconsin set up a Web site where you can easily send an email to your legislators to urge them to vote "yes" for the bill.

Contact them now, before the Assembly votes.

Let's make this happen!

Legislators Fire Blanks at Clean Energy Jobs Act

A commentary by Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin:

Immediate release
April 15, 2010

More information
Michael Vickerman
RENEW Wisconsin
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

Statement of Michael Vickerman
Executive Director – RENEW Wisconsin

Legislators Fire Blanks at Clean Energy Jobs Act

In an April 13 statement, Reps. Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem), Phil Montgomery (R-Green Bay), and Scott Gunderson (R-Waterford) contend that the substitute amendment for the Clean Energy Jobs Act, released earlier this week, will drive up electric rates across Wisconsin. As ammunition for their argument, the representatives point to recent requests in Iowa to raise electric rates, which they attribute to the state’s renewable energy policy.

The argument advanced by these three lawmakers is truly absurd, given the facts of the situation. In the first place, Iowa’s Alternative Energy Production (AEP) law, which dates from 1983, requires the state’s two largest electric utilities to add a mere 105 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity between them. By 1997, both utilities had achieved full compliance with that law. That mandate has not been increased or modified since that time.

Fast forward to April 2010. Windpower capacity alone in Iowa now totals 3,670 MW, and the Hawkeye State is now the second largest producer of wind-generated electricity in the nation behind Texas. According to the Iowa Policy Project, windpower accounted for 14% of the state’s electric output in 2009. Additional information on windpower development in Iowa can be accessed here.

The vast majority of Iowa’s windpower capacity was built for reasons other than complying with the state’s renewable energy policy. Iowa utilities invested in windpower because it is the lowest cost generation option available to them. Here’s what MidAmerican Energy Company, Iowa’s largest investor-owned utility, says about its windpower assets.

MidAmerican began building wind turbines in 2004 and has made the investment without raising customers’ electric rates. The price of electricity per kilowatt-hour … for MidAmerican customers is lower today than it was in 1995, and the company has committed to not seek an electric rate increase to become effective until 2014, which is nearly 20 years without a rate increase.

Given MidAmerican’s experience with windpower, it is clear that the allegation from Reps. Huebsch, Montgomery and Gunderson was spun without any apparent connection to reality. The proper place to file a claim this ludicrous is in a manure digester, where it can be broken down into usable energy.

It’s worth pointing out that a significant percentage of Iowa’s wind capacity serves Wisconsin utilities, among them Madison Gas & Electric (MGE), which owns the 30 MW Top of Iowa 3 installation and purchases additional supplies of wind-generated electricity from independently owned facilities there. These facilities were constructed after 2006, the year Wisconsin’s current renewable energy standard was enacted. Yet MGE’s residential ratepayers have seen annual rate increases of only 1.5% in the last four years. Compared with other expenses, such as college tuition, health insurance premiums, and vehicle registration fees, electricity cost increases have barely been noticeable.

Windpower’s rapid growth in the Upper Midwest has also contributed to the reduction of fossil fuel consumption, resulting in lower natural gas prices. That benefit is passed through directly to Wisconsin energy users in the form of lower heating bills. Indeed, over the last 12 months, overall energy costs declined measurably for most Wisconsin households and businesses, thanks to the prolonged slump in natural gas prices.

There is no surer way to control energy bills than to reduce the state’s reliance on imported fossil fuels through increased conservation and substituting renewable resources wherever practical. The choice before the Legislature is clear cut and momentous. Either it can embrace a 15-year commitment to invigorate the state’s economy through sustained investment in clean energy or it can decide to coast along on current energy policies until they lapse several years from now and lose their force and effect.

We at RENEW believe the Clean Energy Jobs Act will propel the clean energy marketplace into an economic powerhouse that will generate jobs and help Wisconsin businesses remain competitive. We strongly support the passage of the Clean Energy Jobs Act bill as amended.

--END--

RENEW Wisconsin is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that acts as a catalyst to advance a sustainable energy future through public policy and private sector initiatives. More information on RENEW’s Web site at www.renewwisconsin.org.

Groups urge passage of new version of Clean Energy Jobs Act legislation

Diverse groups lined up to support passage of the rewritten version of Clean Energy Jobs Act legislation when the new provisions were announced on Tuesday. Group already releasing statements of support include:

+ Clean Wisconsin.
+ AFL-CIO
+ Wisconsin Business Council
+ Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy (CREWE)
+ Wisconsin Environment
+ WPPI Energy.

According to the bill's co-authors the highlights of the bill make the following changes:

+ Increases the use of renewable resources to meet the state’s future energy needs, requiring 25 percent of Wisconsin’s energy needs are met by renewable sources by 2025, creates new opportunities for Wisconsin.
+ Establishes graduated statewide electricity savings goals that lead up to a 2 percent reduction by 2015 and annual reductions of 2 percent thereafter, this will help reduce energy costs to businesses and homes across the state.
+ Large conservation and efficiency projects that meet workforce standards could count toward a portion of the RPS, which accelerates savings and provides options for utilities to create jobs.
+ Supports the development of small scale renewables such as solar, wind and manure digesters through expanded Focus on Energy grants and loans that will now total $25 million per year each year for a four year period. This will allow Wisconsin Companies to grow their business and create more jobs.
+ Modifies, but not repeal, Wisconsin’s moratorium on nuclear power plants. The language has been tightened to remove the threat of constitutional challenge by tying those changes to the state’s traditional regulatory authority over the need and siting of any plant.
+ Adjusts several transportation provisions, including the elimination of the California vehicle emissions standard; the proposed low carbon fuel standard tied to decisions in other states; and boiler efficiency standards that could cause conflict with EPA regulations.

The co-authors also asked the Public Service Commission to update its cost analysis of the legislation, taking into account the changes made in the substitute amendment.

Independent study confirms PSC cost analysis of Clean Energy Jobs Act

A news release issued by Advocates for Renewable Energy:

The Union of Concerned Scientists has released a study on the 25% Renewable Portfolio Standard and Energy Efficiency provisions within the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA), confirming the findings of the Public Service Commission that CEJA will result in lower electricity bills than under a business as usual approach.

With a 25% Renewable Portfolio Standard, consumer electricity bills will be $34 million lower in 2015 and $59 million lower in 2025, compared with a business as usual approach. CEJA will result in cumulative cost savings to electricity ratepayers of $140 million by 2025. The report concludes that the Clean Energy Jobs Act will protect consumers from rising energy prices by investing in local sources of energy with stable and predictable long-term costs.

Over 200 businesses pledge support for Clean Energy Jobs Act

From a news release issued by Clean Wisconsin:

Regionally Diverse Large and Small Businesses Among Supporters

MADISON -- In a show of support for the Clean Energy Jobs Act, the Wisconsin business community delivered a letter signed by over 200 Wisconsin businesses to state legislators today highlighting the economic and job-creation benefits of strong energy efficiency and renewable energy policies.

"As businesses currently working in the production, installation and maintenance of energy efficiency and renewable energy systems we understand better than anyone that clean energy policies create jobs and stimulate local economies," read the letter. "By enacting statewide policies that will help Wisconsinites make their homes and businesses more energy efficient or invest in renewable energy, the state Legislature will create thousands of jobs and help support local businesses like ours..."

Studies have repeatedly demonstrated the job-creation potential of the Clean Energy Jobs Act. A recent study from the Office of Energy Independence estimates that the bill would create over 15,000 jobs in the state.

"Wisconsin’s businesses support the Clean Energy Jobs Act because they recognize its enormous potential to create jobs and aid economic recovery," said Keith Reopelle, senior policy director at Clean Wisconsin. "With strong renewable energy and energy efficiency policies, Wisconsin can become a leader in the production of clean energy technologies."

"Clean energy policies like those in the Clean Energy Jobs Act help businesses like Wave Wind grow," said Dionne Lummus at Wave Wind Energy located in Sun Prairie. "Increased demand for renewable energy means an increased demand for our services, which translates to more jobs and economic growth in Wisconsin."

A report released this morning by the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that securing 25 percent of the state’s renewable electricity by 2025, a main provision of the bill, is affordable and easily achievable. In fact, the report illustrates that generating 25 percent of Wisconsin’s current electricity load would require only 5 percent of the state’s renewable energy potential.

Case Builds for the Clean Energy Jobs Act Bills

From Wisconsin Renewable Quarterly, Spring 2010, the newsletter of RENEW Wisconsin:

After holding five public hearings on the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) legislation, the committees’ co-chairs signaled their plan to hammer out a set of substitute proposals in meetings among themselves.

While waiting for the expected substitute amendment sometime in late March, proponents continue to build the public case for passage in this legislative session.

The refashioned bill will likely retain the core provisions in the original, specifically:
+ 25% renewable energy standard(RES) by 2025;
+ 10% in-state renewable energy set-aside, also by 2025; and
+ Energy efficiency goals to begin reduction of consumption in 2011.

The original legislation (AB 649/SB 450) also contained a requirement that the Public Service Commission (PSC) increase buyback rates for small renewable systems. This controversial section is likely to be reworked substantially in the substitute amendment.

Since the introduction of the bills in early January, many affected interests have bombarded the print and electronic media with news releases, advertisements, economic analyses, news conferences, commentaries, and photo opportunities in hopes of influencing the Legislature before the session ends.

Just to list a few examples from the proponents:
+ RENEW Wisconsin released a study in February showing that increased renewable energy buyback rates, by themselves, would have a minimal impact on base residential electricity rates;

Other newsletter articles:
Tour Spotlights Homegrown Renewables
Energizing Fort Atkinson Schools
Clearing Up Lakes with Clean Energy
Of Molehills and Renewable Energy
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